As is generally known, such methods are implemented by means of answering machines or by mobile boxes, which, when called, respond to a caller instead of the addressee, and which, after a recorded announcement, allow the caller to leave a message on the tape which can then be played back at any time by the addressee who the message is intended for. These systems, which are hereinafter referred to as “mobile boxes” are used not only to record voice messages, but also to record facsimiles in which the sender can leave a fax message for later retrieval. Comparable methods are implemented in the Internet, where the sender can leave e-mails for selected addressees in a specific memory area, the e-mails being retrieved by the addressee at a later time. In this context, it is also known to retrieve the stored messages from external devices such as telephone connections. Thus, the user, while away, can use the telephone to access all messages, play back received voice messages, or forward fax messages or e-mails to an arbitrary device, from where they can then be printed. In this context, the so-called “SMS messages” (short message service) are regarded as equal to e-mails.
However, the known methods have the disadvantage that the recorded voice messages sometimes have become outdated at the time they are retrieved or played back. For example, it is conceivable that a person A leaves a voice message in the mailbox of another person B indicating that he/she arrives at the train station at a certain time and would like to be picked up. Later, however, it turns out that there is a another travel option, and person A leaves another voice message on the tape, the content of which replaces the first message. However, person B plays back only the first message and immediately rushes to the train station because there is not much time left. It is only when person B returns home disappointed that he/she gets the second message which replaces the content of the first message. With the methods known today, such communication problems can occur at any time.